Avoid Installation Stall-out: Make Sure Your New Heating System is Installed to Factory Specifications

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Michael purchased a new, high-quality, brand-name furnace and expected that he would get better performance, greater comfort, and improved efficiency.  Turns out, the performance of his new furnace was no better than the old one.  But the problem wasn't the furnace.  The problem was the installation: the furnace had not been installed and tuned to factory specifications.

There's a saying in the heating industry:  A great piece of equipment that is incorrectly installed is no better than a poor piece of equipment that is correctly installed.  And it's true.  On average, about 65% of how well a piece of heating equipment performs is directly related to how well the entire system is designed, installed and calibrated.

In fact, an industry study found that over 66% of equipment failure is a result of poor installation and lack of proper maintenance.  And bad installation accounts for the loss of 30% to 50% of heat in many homes!

To perform properly, your entire heating system needs to be installed, tuned and calibrated to factory specifications set down by the manufacturer.  

Your contractor should balance the air flow by making sure that the setting on the furnace fan is matched to the size and characteristics of your ductwork and to the characteristics of your furnace.  He should also tune and test your furnace or boiler to make sure it works efficiently in your home environment.  This is important because your equipment has been tuned and adjusted at the factory, and the environment there does not mirror your home environment.   

You are investing in a quality piece of equipment.  But if that equipment is not installed correctly, you won't get optimum performance.  When you are getting bids, ask contractors if they guarantee that the heating equipment will be installed and tuned to factory specifications.

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This page contains a single entry by TheAdvisor published on November 24, 2009 9:43 AM.

Don't Skip the Homework: Make Sure Your Heating Contractor Does a Complete Home Analysis was the previous entry in this blog.

Avoid Overkill: Don't Buy More Heating System Than You Need is the next entry in this blog.

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